From João to João. This is how Barça started to win. With a steal from Cancelo and a goal from Félix, the victory was cemented that led the champion to the leadership of the League, a paradise that they did not know last year until December. A good place to wait next Tuesday’s debut in the Champions League against Antwerp, although Madrid regains first place if it beats Real Sociedad.
From João to João. This is how Barça finished winning. With a goal from Cancelo, he became a right winger, with plenty of strength and inspiration, to extend his hand to Betis.
The Portuguese inaugurated one stage while Ferran closed another. One that led painfully and irremediably to memory of Messi, two years after his departure, and that he resurrected the author of the last free kick goal that Barça signed up for. It was in Mestalla, on May 2, 2021, and a Valencian, until recently discussed, put an end to that syndrome. His replacement was prepared and he left the field applauded, certifying his psychological and scoring recovery.
Ferran closes Messi’s memory with the first free-kick goal since Leo left. The last one was on May 2, 2021.
Assistance without touching the ball
The football rehabilitation that João Félix hopes to complete in Barcelona, who presented himself to the fans as befits a footballer of his stature and his original cost to Atlético: as a starter, although it was an accessory and last-minute signing. But, above all, he showed up with a goal and an elliptical assist, that is, it did not exist by not touching the ball so that Lewandowski could also score.
Cancelo, on the other hand, was a most necessary acquisition, almost obsessive so that he would cover the traumatic void of a natural, career right back, and be deployed as a notable winger. Koundé applauded his arrival with his ears because he will reduce his appearances in the band. He doesn’t like him, although with France he has no choice but to play there.
Cancelo was seen as an inside player, as a midfielder, as a left winger, and scored in a right wing action.
The other magician Felix
Felix raises doubts. Not so much for the position he will occupy as for the performance he will offer in the future. It can be confirmed that he will usually play false left winger who goes in so that Balde can take advantage of the space on the wing. But it is too early to say what his contribution will be after such a brilliant appearance. He first dedicated himself to deciphering the (few) tactical duties that correspond to him while hinting at the actions expected of him and which he then offered with appreciable frequency: dribbles and passes.
Cancelo was more adept at the start, with a shot from the edge of the area as if it were an inside shot and a classic opening for a midfielder. More sober, he allowed himself the luxury of making a tunnel in an excursion he made to the left end and scoring a goal converted at the right end, while the Portuguese magician Félix officiated his show. The original magician Félix, the Catalan, is called Fèlix Llaugé i Dausà, he is 90 years old and his career, in addition to being much longer, has been more constant.
Pellegrini lined up a weak defense of four ex-Azulgranas and sat Abde on the bench like Xavi did.
A gift for Barça
Betis’ joy was a gift for Barça, which is overwhelmed by closed teams. He also faced a defense made up of his former players, all four of whom (Bellerín, Bartra, Chadi Riad and Miranda) were molded in the Barça youth ranks. The fifth culé was Sergi Altimira, one of the midfielders, and the sixth, Abde, was reserved on the bench, the place he wanted to escape from when he asked to leave Barça. Sitting next to Pellegrini he watched his former teammates get the game back on track. He came out, as happened with Xavi, with the score against him. He had to face Cancelo, whom he never met.
With the transferred Canales and the injured Fekir absent, Betis’ offensive game depends on Isco. The reborn Isco, perfectly comparable to the character in Alejandro González de Iñárritu’s film in its lighter version. Isco’s life has not been in danger, only his rapid football career towards the end. He wanted to resurrect at Sevilla after leaving Madrid, and he left Sevilla in December, beaten and insulted by Monchi, to reappear six months later at the end of the palm tree, where Betis lives in the Andalusian city.
Isco had been chosen for four games as the most valuable of Betis’ games until he disappeared, annulled by the close presence of Oriol Romeu and the network of defensive solidarity that Barça weaves and that has Gavi as the first servant, so dedicated to the robbery. of balls as in the activation of the attacks against a Betis of joke, shaken with the Barça that fled from its past.
Data sheet
Barcelona: Ter Stegen (8); Cancelo (9), Koundé (7), Christensen (7), Bucket (7); Gavi (7), Romeu (6), De Jong (6); Ferran (7), Lewandowski (7), João Félix (8).
Coach: Xavi Hernández (8).
Changes: Gündogan (6) for Romeu (m. 63); Raphinha (7) by Ferran (d. 63); Yamal (6) by Félix (d. 63); Iñigo (sc) by Christensen (m.76); Marcos (sc) by Balde (d. 76).
Betis: Rui Silva (4); Bellerín (4), Bartra (5), Chadi Riad (4), Miranda (5); Altimira (4), Rock (4); Luiz Henrique (4), Isco (5), Ayoze (6); Willian José (6).
Coach: Manuel Pellegrini (4).
Changes: Guilherme (4) for Rui Silva (m. 46); Abde (4) by L. Henrique (d. 46); Guido (4) by Roca (d. 67); Rodri (5) for Isco (d. 67); Cross (4) by Ayoze (d. 67).
Goals: 1-0 (m. 25), Felix; 2-0 (m. 32), Lewandowski; 3-0 (m. 61), Ferran; 4-0 (m. 66), Raphinga; 5-0 (m. 81), I cancel.
Referee: Sánchez Martínez (5), Murcian.
Cards: Bartra (d. 72), Guido (d. 84), Iñigo (d. 86).
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Stadium: Lluís Companys.
Spectators: 45,055.